The Runaway Bride
by FlamingRedFox
Summary: Wedding fiascos, speeding tickets, and sexy cops! Oh my! Armed with nothing but a crumpled wedding dress and tear stained cheeks, former bride-to-be Rosalie Hale thinks she can take on Mr. Sexy State Trooper Emmett McCarty. AU
1. Operation Runaway Bride

**I disclaim…**

**A/N: **Okies, so this is a little different from the other _Twilight_ stuff I've posted before. It's another Rosalie/Emmett fic, but that's about all it has in common. Not only is this an AU but it's also AH. I somehow managed to break away from cannon. This is also lighter than my other work, meant to be more amusing and fluffy. Sadly, I think Rose fell into her OOC stereotype here, but it was still fun to write. _Warning of strong language that may or may not push the T rating._ It's nothing I haven't heard in a PG-13 movie or coming from the mouth of a second grader, but the "F-word" does come up twice…

**Summary: **Wedding fiascos, speeding tickets, and sexy cops! Oh my! Armed with nothing but a crumpled wedding dress and tear stained cheeks, former bride-to-be Rosalie Hale thinks she can take on Mr. Sexy State Trooper Emmett McCarty.

**Dedication: **To those of you who have ever been stuck in traffic because someone insisted on slowing down to look at the police car with flashing lights sitting on the side of the road. Don't cha just love those people?

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_Runaway Bride  
__A Twilight Series Fanfic  
__By: FlamingRedFox  
__Rosalie's Point of View_

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Stupid, lying, cheating son of a bitch! How dare he? How _dare_ he!? God damn bastard! God damn fucking idiot bastard!

I don't know why I ever trusted him. Agreeing to marry him was probably the dumbest thing I've ever done in my life. I knew he was a bit of a drunk. Heck, most people in our circle of friends were. With parties every other night even I drank more than I probably should on a weekly basis. But I thought I loved him so I stupidly forgave that flaw. Big mistake there.

Bastard showed up to our wedding twenty-three minutes late, reeking of vodka, and with a cheap shade of lipstick staining his collar that definitely wasn't mine. He then had the nerve to try and saunter down the aisle and carry on with the ceremony as if nothing was amiss. Idiot stumbled over his own feet the entire way and actually knocked the minister down in an attempt to stable himself.

By that point I was fuming. I had spent a good twelve hours making myself look perfect for the idiot, strapped into a wedding dress that made it nearly impossible to breath, wearing uncomfortable three inch stilettos, my golden hair held up with so many bobby pins I'd have a migraine by the end of the night. I was the perfect bride. Hell, I looked like I had just walked out of a David's Bridal catalogue. But all the pain of looking as stunning as I did was supposed to be well rewarded at the end of the night. It usually was. I didn't prance around in designer clothing and death trap shoes for nothing.

But what was my reward this time? The one day that looking good actually mattered? The one day I could make myself absolutely stunning and not be envied simply because it was _my _day? I was supposed to be the prettiest damn woman in the entire church, which for me of course wasn't very hard, but instead of that earning me a doting husband and a future filled with kids it got me a cheating fiancé drunk off his ass.

Ooo, I wanted to kill the bastard. I _should _have killed the bastard. Of course that would have ended poorly seeing as one of my bridesmaids was the daughter of a police chief who happened to be sitting in attendance as a guest of the bride. If I was going to murder someone I would definitely make sure I'd be able to get away with it first. Rosalie Lillian Hale does _not_ end up in jail. Besides, I didn't want to get blood on my pretty white dress. My maid-of-honor would have killed me if I so much as got a drop of water on the silky fabric. If I stained the thing with blood she would have flayed me alive.

Speaking of darling little Alice, I took a glance at my present appearance. Yep, I was as good as dead once she tracked me down. Her cry of, "I told you marrying Royce was a bad idea!" still bounced around in my head hours after I'd slapped him, ran down the aisle, and stormed out of the church. The worst part was that the damn pixie was right. She'd told me from the beginning that my relationship with Royce was doomed for failure. I should have listened to her.

Now look at me. I'd somehow managed to cram the puffy skirt of my dress into the driver's side of my bright red BMW M3. Mascara followed the trails of my tears despite the label claiming it was waterproof. I'd broken both heals off of my shoes on my way from the church, and my hair was an utter mess. Between the hair spray, unfound bobby pins, and limp hanging curls accompanied by the dark, bruise like make-up stains, I looked more like a corpse bride on Halloween than I did a bride-to-be in April. The wind didn't help any as I sped down I-81 at more than a hundred and twenty miles an hour with the top down on my car.

I'm not sure how many state boarders I crossed; I just knew that I had to get away. I pulled off the road maybe three times to refill on gas, which mind you is not an easy task in a wedding dress. At least I was a born and bred New Yorker so I knew what I was doing. Did you know people in New Jersey don't pump their own gas? And people call me spoiled. Humph!

I refused to ease up on the gas pedal as I easily weaved in and out of traffic. I must have been driving for at least six hours, but it still wasn't enough. I wasn't far enough away. Another "Welcome to!" sign flashed by my vision and I barely made out the word Tennessee as I crossed into yet another state. Tennessee… That's southwest of New York, right? Maybe I should have taken I-95 instead. I've never actually been out of New York before. I remember Bella telling me that I-95 was a straight run down the east coast all the way to Florida though. If I had taken I-95 I would have at least known my destination.

Then again, did I really want to know where I was going? I'd taken the first interstate I'd come to and it was slowly dragging me southwest. Maybe if I put the Appalachians between me and that disaster of a wedding I'd be able to find some place to stop for the night and call my family and friends. My parents would be worried sick, and I had to face Alice's wrath sooner of later. Maybe if I did a three way call with her and Bella it wouldn't be so bad? I glanced at my cell phone lying in the passenger's seat and frowned before turning to look back at the road. It was definitely too soon to call.

Okay, so I was currently in Tennessee. I needed something to distract myself as I sped down the road which was slowly morphing into I-40, so I decided to try and figure out what could possibly be of interest in Tennessee. I was getting hungry and was in desperate need of getting out of this wedding dress, so maybe if the state was a remotely interesting one I could stop and kill a few hours. It would be nice to get out of the car and walk around for a while too. I'm surprised my legs hadn't cramped up yet.

Now let's see… The capitol was Nashville, right? And there was that song _Walking in Memphis. _Memphis was a major Tennessee city. And I remember Jasper mentioning he'd been to Bristol, Tennessee several times. That meant… Well, honestly the only thing I really knew about Tennessee was that it was home to the Bristol racetrack, one of the shortest car racing tracks in the NASCAR circuit. Why did I know this? Because Alice's boyfriend Jasper was originally from Texas and while I've never actually ever seen him drive a car, if we were all hanging out at his place on a Sunday the television was always tuned into the race. Most men I knew religiously watched football or baseball. Jasper's sports obsession was car racing.

I admit, listening to him prattle on about that particular sport was a lot easier than listening to my two brothers constantly arguing over the Yankees and Red Sox. If one of them hadn't decided to go to Boston for college, it would have never been an issue. As it was, I'd take cars over baseball any day. I could appreciate a good car, and I definitely wouldn't mind looking under the hood of one of those racecars if presented with the opportunity. Now that would be a fun car to tweak.

The needle was pushed a little over 120mph when I first noticed the flashing lights in the rearview mirror. So that's what Tennessee had: cops. Well, actually it was a state trooper or highway patrol or something, but they're basically the same thing. The only difference was the paycheck and the boss. Still, I did not need this right now. I was still seething about the wedding fiasco and now I didn't even look presentable enough to even hope about flirting my way out of a ticket. _Shit!_ I did not want a potentially cute cop to see me like this. I was a complete and total mess! Not good, not good, not good! It's not even like I could try and fix myself up in the short time it'd take him to walk from his car to mine. I was in a crumpled wedding dress for god's sake! Maybe he would turn out to be a she. I'd have even less of a chance of flirting my way out of the ticket, but at least I wouldn't have to worry about my appearance as much… What? I was now a single woman again. Maybe it's a little soon, but that's the definition of a rebound relationship, isn't it? I could have a fling in Tennessee with a cute cop if I wanted to.

The feeling of my car coming to a complete stop jerked me out of my thoughts. I hadn't even realized I was slowing down. The flashing red and blue lights steadily grew closer until they stopped about ten feet behind me. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I repeatedly banged my head against the headrest as I waited for the inevitable. The top was still down so the trooper could see every move I made. No point in trying to doll myself up now. He'd know I was going to flirt before he even made it to the window. Maybe I could get him to take pity on me instead of dazzling him senseless like I normally would? One glance in the rearview mirror had told me it was a he, and a gorgeous one at that. Dark curly hair, well defined muscles, and an amused smirk on his face that was only made sexier by the dimples in his cheeks. Judging by that smirk I'd say that his catching me speeding was the most fun he'd had all day. _Damn it!_

"License and regis…"

I cut him off by shoving the documents at him, not looking up to meet his gaze. The sound of his voice was just too alluring, with the light southern drawl and silky baritone. I was supposed to be angry, not swooning. Swooning would only make me look more pathetic, and pathetic definitely did not look good on me. As he intently stared at my license I began to wish he'd just hurry up and write the ticket already. The sooner this was over, the better. I didn't care about the damn fine any more. I just wanted to be on my way again.

"Are you sure you're Miss Rosalie Hale?"

"What!?" My head snapped around to look at him so fast I actually had to blink a few times to clear my vision. His question had caught me so off guard. Was he trying to make a joke? "Of course I'm Rosalie Hale! Who else would I be?" I snapped, narrowing my icy violet eyes into a glare that would make lesser men shudder. He just seemed to try and hold back a chuckle.

"It's just that," he started before halting, trying to figure out the best way to word whatever it was he was about to say. I had a feeling it would be unpleasant. "The woman in the picture here is breathtakingly beautiful and you look worse than a cat that's been run over by all eighteen wheels of some ten ton big rig."

I was visibly seething now. Who the hell did this guy think he was? Was he trying to be funny or something? Because if he was, he damn well sucked at comedy. I wasn't in the mood for jokes, especially ones that insulted me. So what if my heart had fluttered a bit when he'd said my license picture was breathtakingly beautiful? He was not going to get away with comparing me to road kill!

"Your point?" I'm pretty sure I looked murderous because his amused smile faltered for a second.

"Easy lady. If you don't calm down I'm worried I'm gonna have to check your trunk for the body of yer dead husband."

He was laughing at me. A chuckle had actually fallen from his mouth as he'd cracked another hurtful joke. Now normally I liked dark humor, but that was only when it wasn't directed at _me_. This guy had another thing coming if he thought he'd be getting away with talking to me like that. I was Rosalie Hale for heaven's sakes! I probably had more money in my purse than he did his monthly paycheck.

Before I could stop myself I was out of the car and glaring up at him, a well manicured finger pressed into his chest. "Look here," I dropped my gaze for a second to read his name, "McCarty. I don't know who the hell you think you are but that is no way to talk to a lady. Now either write the damn speeding ticket or leave me the fuck alone! Or would you rather crack another idiotic joke at my expense?"

I stood there in a crumpled wedding dress with my silken hair sticking out in every direction and mascara tracks running down my cheeks. My normally stunning violet eyes glared daggers into his forest green ones, and for some odd reason I was finding it even harder to breath. Stupid restricting dress made it hard to be angry. Or maybe it was the pitiful regret I could read clearly in his eyes. Stupid sexy cop. To bad that regret seemed to only be in his eyes, because I almost smacked him when he opened his mouth again.

"And that's no way to talk to a law enforcement officer. It's _Officer_ McCarty to you." He crossed his arms, blatantly giving me a once over as he continued to hold my license and registration captive. "So what's with the getup? I thought brides only ran away in movies."

I'm not exactly sure what happened then, but his words had stung me more than I cared to admit. As much as I wanted to give him a black eye I couldn't so much as form my hand into a fist. I slumped back against my car, tears flowing freely again. I thought I'd rid myself of them by the time I was out of New York. The blatant reminder of the pain I was currently running away from proved that theory wrong though. I had been betrayed and publicly humiliated, and now insulted and laughed at. For the last several hours I'd let my pride keep the hurt at bay, masking it with anger. Now a few jokes and a set of dimples had managed to crumble all of my walls and I was more vulnerable than a newborn infant. No one had ever seen me this fragile before, not even my own parents. Now I was bawling my eyes out in front of some sexy cop I was supposed to be furious with. I think this is officially the worst day of my life.

"Hey, are you alright? I'm sorry. It was just a joke. Come on, don't cry Miss Hale. I didn't mean anythin' by it, honest."

My sudden change in emotion must have affected Mr. Sexy State Trooper more than I would have guessed because suddenly I felt his fingers trying to brush away a few of my tears. He had leaned down to my height and nothing but concern laced both his expression and his voice.

"Do I look alright to you?" I huffed, still trying to cling to my anger. It was a futile attempt because the tears kept coming and I was desperately trying to resist throwing myself at the man and soaking his uniform shirt with my tears.

"No, you don't." No shit Mr. Obvious. "You look like you've been to Hell and back and somehow you still manage to put your license pic to shame."

So now he was actually going to compliment me? The idiot! Lucky for him I was actually vain enough that it worked. The tears refused to stop but I did manage to look up at him through my lashes. In place of his earlier grin was a small frown and those dimples I'd first noticed were still shining through. He had one hand still against my cheek while the other lightly gripped my shoulder, his eyes boring intensely into mine.

I think his little compliment worked a little too well because the next thing I knew my lips were pressed against his. He was just as shocked by the action as I was. Well, he was until I felt his tongue brush against my bottom lip, trying to deepen the kiss. I must have been running on pure instinct because if I had been thinking straight I would have never opened my mouth and given him the entrance he sought. As it was I now found myself fighting for control in what I'm pretty sure was the single most amazing kiss of my life. This kiss was a heck of a lot better than any kiss I'd ever shared with Royce. Hell, I think this kiss was better than sex with Royce too. Are kisses allowed to be better than sex?

I'm not sure how long we remained entwined, but by the time we pulled away I was breathless, had one hand wrapped within his curls, and was pretty sure I'd left permanent imprints of my nails on his left bicep. He was breathing heavily with one of his thumbs lightly brushing over my tearstained cheek and seemed in no rush to remove his other hand from my ass. For the longest moment we just stared at each other, trying to figure out what had just happened.

What _had_ just happened? If his goal had been to stop me from crying then he'd definitely succeeded. But, that was a whole lot more than just a kiss. Simple kisses don't stop traffic…

Officer McCarty turned his head to follow my widened gaze when he took in my shocked expression. I heard him laugh as he took in the two lanes of slow moving cars. The interstate was currently backed up for several miles as people constantly slowed down to get a glimpse at the reason for the flashing lights. Damn curiosity. Why couldn't they mind their own business?

"I think that's my cue to let you get back on the road," he chuckled, flashing me a half grin as he slipped my license and registration back into my hands. I could see the sadness in his eyes as he spoke though, and that brought a frown onto my own features. I wasn't about to let a sexy cop get away from me that easily, especially after that kiss.

"What if I said I don't exactly know where I'm going? Or where I am, for that matter…" I looked up at him sweetly, hoping he'd take the hint and realize I wanted him to leave me just about as much as he did. Which was not at all. Unfortunately, I couldn't keep the bitterness out of my voice on the second half my question and the frown refused to yield from my lips. I didn't like not knowing where I was. I liked to be in control of my surroundings, and now the only thing I had any control over my car.

"Well you're takin' the long way through Tennessee. You're about eighty-two miles or so from Bristol, which if you actually obey the speed limit should get you there in about an hour and a half at most. Or I think we're about two hours from Virginia if you plan on going back the way you came. The next exit's fairly well built up if you want to get yourself something to eat. There's a few motels around too and an outlet center there."

Okay, so I found fault with a lot of what he just said. First he criticized my driving, which turned my frowning features into a displeased glare. Then he mentioned going back the way I came. Um yeah, that's not happening any time soon. Finally he had the nerve to suggest a motel. A motel! Do I look like somebody who's willing to spend the night in some cheap motel? I don't think so.

"What?" he questioned innocently as I attempted to burn him with my eyes. He had the cutest confused expression as he attempted to figure out what he'd done wrong. I almost felt guilty for glaring. Almost.

When our eyes locked I did soften up a little, leaning against the door of my car and crossing my arms over my chest. I sighed before pouting, and I think the action made him want to kiss me again. For the longest second he just stared at my lips, seeming to debate with himself on what to do. Truth be told I wouldn't have minded another kiss. Too bad he seemed to have decided against it.

"Isn't there anything around here more upscale than some cheap motel?"

I couldn't keep the whine out of my voice and that had him laughing at me again. At least all I did was whine. If Alice were here she'd be beating him over the head with her purse simply for saying the "m-word" as she liked to call it. Bella would have been laughing along with the cop. Seriously though. What person in their right mind would stay in a place with a name like Econo Lodge?

"Well I guess I could take you home with me. It'd save you the embarrassment of having to shop in that dress." Is it bad that I visibly perked up at the idea of going home with him? "We'd have to leave your car here though."

"What? Why?" He did _not_ just suggest I leave my baby on the side of the road for all the world to break into. Well, maybe not the world but whoever decided to drive through Tennessee. That car had been a gift! From Royce… "Never mind. Let's just go."

I leaned over the door to grab my purse and cell-phone, along with the few CDs I had in the changer. I then purposely dropped the ignition key on driver's seat before turning and threading my arm through Mr. Sexy Cop's. Tilting my head to look up at him expectantly, an innocent smile spread across my face as I waited for him to lead the way back to his cruiser.

Damn was this man sexy when he was confused. His eyes kept jumping from my face to my car, trying to figure out what was running through my head. "You do know your car's now askin' to be stolen, right?"

I smirked and nodded, and he finally got the hint to start walking. "It's in my ex-fiancé's name. If anything happens to it, it's his problem. He should be the one to pay."

McCarty proved he could be a gentleman when he opened the passenger side door of the cruiser for me. "Thank you, _officer_," I practically purred. Maybe I was laying it on a little thick, but he'd made me think of my bastard of an ex. The flirting did earn me a sexy smirk.

"Emmett," he said simply before making his way to the other side of the car. I'm guessing that was his first name, but I wanted confirmation so I turned to him with a raised brow as he buckled in. This time he seemed to catch on. "You can call me Emmett. Now don't touch anything, especially that scanner down there. My shift's done in about twenty minutes and then I have to drop the car off at the station. From there it's about an hours drive to my place. You sure you don't wanna stay in one of those lovely Econo Lodges?"

A look a pure terror contorted my beautiful features which sent _Emmett_ into another bout of laughter. So of course I thought it was a good idea to glare at him, but apparently that only caused him to laugh harder. The sound of that booming chortle of his was infuriating, and yet at the same time oddly musical to my ears. Why did he have to be so damn alluring when I was trying to be mad at him?

"You really gotta relax Miss Hale. For someone trying to run away you're awfully uptight."

"Rosalie," I corrected. "And I am _not_ uptight."

"Hmm?"

I wasn't quite sure what he was 'hmm-ing' at but it sounded like he was incredulous. With the only other sounds in the car being the occasional crackle of the police scanner and the whir of the engine, I decided to pursue the argument. I am not uptight!

"If I can call you Emmett then you can call me Rosalie. And I'm not uptight!"

"You're sorely mistaken there Rosie. Since I've met you practically everything that's come out of that pretty little mouth of yours has been some sort of complaint or defensive remark. You definitely can't take a joke and your default emotion seems to be anger. If you ask me, that's the recipe for an uptight, high maintenance bitch."

"Well I didn't ask you. And did you just call me Rosie?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well don't."

"Don't what?"

"Call me Rosie."

"Awe c'mon, why not? I think Rosie's cute."

"Well I don't. I'm not a five year old."

"See? This is what I meant when I said you needed to relax."

"Maybe I'd relax if you'd stop mocking me every chance you got."

"You don't think I'm funny Rosie?"

"Let's see… You've compared my appearance to that of a dead cat's, accused me of murdering my ex, compared my situation to that of a cheesy romantic comedy, and actually considered making me stay in a motel. No, you're not funny. You're the most infuriating man I've ever met. And don't call me Rosie!"

I had my arms firmly crossed over my chest as I glared out the windshield. For the next few minutes the car was deadly silent aside from the low hum of the engine. Even the scanner didn't crackle. My teeth were clenched and my jaw was set and for the life of me I couldn't figure out what it was about this guy that had me so ticked off.

I finally chanced a glance at him after about five or so odd minutes. He had a rather smug smirk on his face as he sped along the interstate. That only seemed to infuriate me more. I turned my glare on him then, and when he looked over at me he chuckled again, quirking a brow as if to ask "What?"

"What are you so smug about?" I blurted out, letting my curiosity get the better of me.

"Eh, not much. Just the fact that despite your opinion of me you still seem pretty willing to come back to my place, _Rosalie_."

I stared at him mouth agape for several seconds before slumping down in the seat. He had me there. "Damn it," I mumbled, glaring out the window again. Ah well, despite his opinion of me he hadn't thrown me out of the car yet. Maybe that meant that whatever it was that was keeping me from leaving him was keeping him from leaving me as well.

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**A/N: **Alrighty. So this was written during a two day drive up I-95 from Florida to New Jersey in which several times traffic built up because people wanted a glimpse at who was pulled over by a cop. Seriously. Traffic backing up for miles on end just because some idiot got pulled over for speeding is a real pain in the butt. Makes a fourteen hour trip take eighteen hours instead. I admit I couldn't resist the small dig at New Jersey. I'm a Jersey girl born and raised and I have never pumped my own gas. It's illegal to do so. ;P _And_ I have indeed stayed at an Econo Lodge before. It is by far the worst motel I have ever had the displeasure of spending a few nights in. It was filthy, had bugs, and was not my first choice in lodgings. I've stayed in campgrounds that were nicer than that place. Oh! If someone ever insists you attend a NASCAR race, make sure you go to the Bristol track. Best race I ever saw was at Bristol.

So, hope you enjoyed my little road trip inspired fic. It may or may not have two more chapters. I rather like it as a one-shot, but I'm toying with the idea of having Alice and Bella set out to rescue Rose. I don't know why, but I really enjoy the idea of Rosalie as a runaway bride. And, when I've got nothing better to do while trapped in a motor home for eighteen plus hours I figured what better way to pass the time than to type until my laptop battery dies? ;P

Review please!


	2. Operation Rescue Rosalie

**I disclaim…**

**a/n: **First off, thank you all for the lovely little reviews and alert notifications and faves! I was pleasantly surprised and infinitesimally delighted. XD That being said…

I now present to you chapter two in my little road trip-esque story. This chapter is in Alice's POV, which is why it took so dang long to write. Hopefully I can do her some justice. The only thing we really have in common is our height, or lack there of heh heh heh. This is the first time I'm writing from a POV that's not Rose's or third person… Now then, enjoy the disaster that is the aftermath of Rosalie fleeing the state!

**Summary: **Wedding fiascos, speeding tickets, and sexy cops! Oh my! Armed with nothing but a crumpled wedding dress and tear stained cheeks, former bride-to-be Rosalie Hale thinks she can take on Mr. Sexy State Trooper Emmett McCarty.

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_Operation Rescue Rosalie  
__A Twilight Series Fanfic  
__By FlamingRedFox  
__Alice's Point of View_

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"I told you marrying Royce was a bad idea!"

My voice echoed down the aisle, trailing after our furious former bride. Surprisingly I attracted a few curious stares from a few of the wedding guests. Apparently not everyone knew I was completely against this wedding despite my agreement to both help plan it and be the maid-of-honor. Rosalie's friend Vera was originally supposed to be her maid-of-honor, but since she was a little over eight months pregnant with her second child she had refused the offer.

I didn't really mind being second choice. Even if she had picked Bella over me I would have still been in the wedding. Rosalie would never pick Bella over me though. For one, Bella would have refused the honor since she hated being thrust into the spotlight. For two, there had always been a bit of animosity between the two of them. I'm not quite sure why, but in the four years they'd known each other Bella was still a bit timid around Rose. Rosalie, of course, used that to her advantage to often get Bella on her side whenever she disagreed with me on something. It was _almost_ as powerful as the puppy pout I had mastered at the age of three. But I digress. There are more important matters at hand than the fact that Bella and Rosalie have a hard time getting along.

More interesting topic number one: Royce King was drunk as a skunk and passed out in front of the alter. _Idiot_. I really don't understand what Rose ever saw in him. I mean, sure he was handsome and rich, and spoiled her with lavish gifts. They had no connection what so ever though. They spent more time with the entire group than they did each other, and every account of public display of affection I'd observed between them seemed like it was an obligation instead of necessity. When you love someone, that person is supposed to be more important than air or water, or dare I say it even a sale at Barneys. That's what it's like for Jasper and me. Just knowing he's someplace in the same room as me, probably thinking about me, makes it easier to get through the day.

Rosalie and Royce didn't have that connection. Bella doesn't either, for that matter, but that's a whole other story. We're still trying to convince her that she's out of the league of people like Mike Newton, Tyler Crowley, and Eric Yorkie instead of the other way around. She absolutely refuses to shed that shy small town girl persona despite all our pushing and prodding. If she just had a bit of confidence in herself she could land herself a Jasper no problem. As long as it's not _my_ Jasper.

Now then. More interesting topic number two: Rosalie had just fled the church, leaving me to handle damage control. I had a sinking feeling this wasn't going to be pretty, considering the groom was lying at my feet, Rosalie's and Royce's families were about ten seconds away from exploding with embarrassment, disgust, and anger, and gossip was spreading like wildfire through the large church…

"Alice?"

"Yes Bella?"

"I think we should go after Rose."

I stared at my best friend for a moment, completely dumbstruck. Did she really just point out the obvious like that? Then again, she was looking a little ill from all the chaos. It's understandable if her brain wasn't quite up to par with the events at the moment.

"Bella?"

"Yes Alice?"

"Of course we're going after Rose! We just have to clean up this mess first."

Bella gave me a nervous smile before glancing around at the guests. With the high, corbelled ceiling, the volume of chatter within the church was equivalent to that of a rock concert. There were close to 1,000 guests in attendance and they were all swapping theories about the now apparent not-so-happy couple. This whole fiasco would be all over the news tomorrow thanks to the press Royce's family insisted on having in attendance. And, Bella and I had to get everyone out of the church as quickly as possible before we could track down Rose and try and comfort her. Hopefully she wouldn't get too far before we caught up to her. As much as Rose was the type of girl to purposely make a scene, I don't think she'd be able to handle any more public humiliation right now.

I climbed up onto the alter, hoping it'd give me just enough height to help get everyone's attention. I then proceeded to slip two fingers into my mouth and let out an earsplitting whistle. The room suddenly fell deathly silent as all eyes turned curiously towards me. Even Bella looked a little more frazzled than before as she blinked at me with her wide brown doe eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen," I began, projecting my voice as best I could. The high soprano bounced off the walls, commanding despite it's musical tone. "As you may have noticed, we are having some, er… technical difficulties. At this time the wedding party would appreciate it if you were to proceed directly to the reception. Enjoy the music, the food, the cake, and of course the OPEN BAR. We apologize for this minor inconvenience. Thank you for attending."

I remained standing on the alter for several minutes, watching the crowd slowly disperse. It was amazing what the promise of free alcohol could do. Bella was off to the side talking quietly with Vera. The Kings were attempting to pick their plastered son off the floor and proceed out of the church with some dignity, and it was rather clear they wouldn't be on speaking terms with the Hales for a long time to come. My wonderful Jasper came over to help me down and then proceeded to massage my shoulders in attempt to relieve some of the stress. Only he would attempt, and succeed at keeping me calm during such chaos.

"Hey Jazzy, can you do me a favor?" I asked sweetly, turning so I could look up at him. I pulled out my most innocent looking smile.

He seemed a bit weary, but replied anyway with, "What is it Alice?"

"Can you transform the reception into some sort of social party and make sure it goes off without a hitch while Bella and I track down Rose? I'd do it myself, but she needs her best friends right now. Please Jazzy? Please?"

"Alllice…"

I beamed at the slight whine in his voice, pulling myself up to kiss him lightly on the lips. "Thank you Jazzy! I have total faith in you."

He sighed before offering me a small smile, kissing the top of my head, and striding out of the church to take care of the reception. I really did have total faith in him. I wouldn't trust anyone else to help handle damage control. Jasper knew me well enough to know exactly what to do, and I could breath a little easier knowing that at least the guests would be well taken care of.

"Bella, let's go find Rose," I called, crossing my arms as I looked up and over to her. She offered an exasperated smile to Vera before striding over and linking her arm with mine. Together we apologized to the Hales, who were some of the few people remaining within the church, and then strolled down the aisle and out the ancient looking doors.

"Which way do you think she went?" Bella asked, unlinking her arm from mine and looking at me expectantly.

"She probably started making her way back to her place to pick up her car. She couldn't have made it too far in that dress unless she hailed a taxi, but we both know she'd never do something like that."

"I will never understand the aversion you two have to public transportation."

Her voice was laced with a light chuckled as she latched onto my arm again. At the brisk pace we had picked up as we made are way towards Rose's place, Bella had decided to use me as her personal cane. If she hadn't, there was a good chance she'd be spending a better portion of the walk on her ass.

"And I will never understand why you won't take the time to learn how to walk without tripping over air."

She rolled her eyes as I dragged her through the streets of Rochester, trying to figure out the quickest possible route to our destination. Rosalie, luckily, did not live far from the church, but with Bella's poor coordination skills and the fact that we were both in tight, floor length, lavender bridesmaid dresses our progress was much slower than it could have been. At least Rose had been kind enough to let us all wear rather charming dresses. Then again, it was very hard to upstage her even when she was dressed in a sweat suit for the gym, as Bella had a habit of pointing out, so there was no need for us to be forced into wearing hideous bows on our asses.

It took us a little over twenty minutes, but we finally made it to Rose's. We'd passed her two broken heels in the process so we'd known we'd made the right direction choice. Unfortunately, as we stared at the place where her car should have been it began to sink in that we may have been just a tad too late.

"Shit!"

I glanced over at Bella the moment she muttered the curse, observing as she gnawed on the nails of her left hand nervously. So much for her manicure.

"You don't think…" I began wearily, unsure how to continue.

"She couldn't have…" Bella trailed off.

"She's never been…"

"She'd never…"

"Impossible!"

"Oh no…"

"Bella, I have a strange feeling Rosalie's half way out of New York by now."

Her chocolate eyes met my amber brown ones, reflecting the worry that was twisting my expression.

"I hope for once you're gut instinct is wrong Alice."

"Me too," I mumbled quietly, so quietly in fact that Bella almost missed it. When her brain registered what I'd said, she went slightly slack jawed.

"Shit!" she muttered again.

"She has a GPS tracking device in her car, doesn't she?"

"Alice… You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?" She looked almost frightened as she stared down at me. I smiled up at her sweetly, running a hand through my short, spiky, black hair.

"Depends Bella. Are you thinking we should pack a bag for Rose, grab her laptop so we can locate her car, then head to our places and change out of these dresses before packing our own bags so we can take a little road trip?"

Bella let out a sigh, before turning to head up the stairs. "Let's get this over wi-AH! Alice! Stop laughing! It's not funny!"

"But Bella…" I giggled out, dancing over to offer her a hand. "Only you could manage to trip up stairs while in the middle of 'Operation Rescue Rosalie.'"

She shot me a quizzical look, straitening her dress as she managed to stand upright. "Operation Rescue Rosalie?"

I nodded and smiled, still laughing a bit. "Mmhmm. I was originally going to call it 'Operation Runaway Bride,' but I realized that would be more fitting for Rose's little escape plans. Now come on Captain Clumsypants. We've got to pack!"

"Whatever you say Private Pixiesticks."

Exactly three hours and seventeen minutes later we were changed, packed, and piled into my canary yellow Porsche. Bella sat in the passenger seat, calling out directions as she intently stared at Rosalie's laptop, watching every movement and pit stop the BMW made. When Royce first insisted Rose install the tracking device, we'd all laughed at him and joked about the impracticality of it. Honestly, why would anyone need to know the exact location of their car at any given moment? Apparently the drunken idiot was smarter than we'd given him credit for. Ah well. The important thing was that we found Rose.

"Okay, according to this she's been on I-81 for the last few hours. She stopped in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and Staunton, Virginia for gas. Provided she doesn't turn off, she should be crossing into Tennessee within the next hour and a half or so… Gah! Alice! Watch the road!"

I turned my confused gaze from Bella's face back to the endless stretch of interstate before me, swerving in and out of traffic as I floored the gas. "Sorry," I muttered, darting a quick glance at my friend. She was ghostly pale as she clutched onto the door for dear life with one hand and the laptop with the other. "Why would Rose be headed to Tennessee?"

"You tell me. You're the one that's always claiming to be able to see the future. And will you slow down a bit? I'd like to still be in one piece by the time we find Rose."

"Relax Bella. I have excellent driving skills. You know that!"

"Then why are you about to rear end that Mazda?"

I yanked the wheel to the left, cutting across two lanes of traffic. A few horns sounded in the background as I turned to smile at Bella. "What Mazda? There's no Mazda in front of me."

She looked like she was either going to burst into tears or pee her pants in fright. "I told you to keep your eyes on the road!"

"Bella, Bella, Bella," I sighed, continuing to weave in and out of traffic as we steadily approached the New York boarder. "Don't worry about a thing. In fact, why don't you try and call Rosalie? She might actually pick up if she realizes it's you."

"Can't you _please_ slow down a bit first?" she pleaded. She even attempted to the puppy pout I'd taught her. It wasn't quite as effective as my own, but I took pity on her and eased up on the gas a little bit.

"There. Happy?"

"Not really, but I supposed ten miles is a start…" she drawled, voice dripping with sarcasm as she rolled her eyes.

I stuck my tongue at her quickly before focusing back on the task at hand. We had a long drive ahead of us if we wanted to catch up to Rose before tomorrow, and the sun was already beginning to set. I could hear the beeping of Bella's phone as she dialed, and then the ringing started. She impatiently tapped her fingers against the door as it rang, eyes staring out the widow watching the scenery zip by. After a minute and a half she flipped the phone shut and dropped it in the cup holder, running a hand through her brown locks in frustration.

"I got her voicemail. It rang like eight or nine times though, so her phone's not dead. She's just not answering."

"Dang. Where's the computer say she's at?"

"An hour from Tennessee. We've only been in the car half an hour?"

I shrugged my shoulders and leaned over to turn the radio up, blasting whatever today tune happened to be playing. We fell into a comfortable silence, occasionally singing along to whatever lyrics caught our attention as I continued to "dodge cars" as Bella liked to put it.

About two hours into the trip we decided to pull over for gas and a snack. I took the first exit I found and we stopped at an Exxon that was priced slightly lower than the Shell station across the street. Bella got out to pump the gas while I strolled through the doors of the small convenience store, eyes lilting over the various rows of snacks and a few kitchen accessories. _Now let's see… What to get… Decisions, decisions…_

I casually strolled down the various aisles, stopping to grab a bag of Lays Potato Chips, a box of Cheese Nips, an assortment of candy bars, a couple of water bottles and two Yoo-Hoos. Arms full, I browsed the rows of scratch off lottery cards behind the counter as I waited for the old man in front of me to pay. The longer I looked at the scratch offs, the larger my smile grew, and by the time I deposited my findings on the counter I was positively grinning.

"Can I get five of those 'Double It' and five 'Take the Money and Run' scratch offs please?"

I thought I'd asked politely, but the cashier gave me a funny look as he rang up the snacks. I quirked a brow in return and the man behind the counter rolled his eyes.

"ID?"

"ID?" I repeated back, thoroughly confused.

"If you want the tickets, you gotta prove you're older than eighteen kiddo," he replied, looking thoroughly amused.

I, on the other hand, found nothing funny. My eyes narrowed into an icy glare as I fished my license from my purse along with a credit card. I slid them across the counter, tapping my foot impatiently as he inspected my date of birth. I did not appreciate being called kiddo. Just because I was a good foot shorter than the man did not mean I was underage to do anything. Granted, I should be thankful for my youthful looks and normally I am. It's just usually people are smart enough to realize I'm at least over eighteen instead of under it. For a guy that looked like he was in his early thirties at the most, he sure was dense if you ask me.

"Alright that's $28.32. That debit or credit?"

I was still glaring as I snapped, "Credit," and swiped my card through the machine. I quickly signed and snatched the bag off the counter after the receipt was placed in it. I was almost out the door when I heard the voice of the cashier again.

"Have a good evening ma'am."

I froze, eye twitching slightly as I turned my head to look over my shoulder at him. "You too," I ground out, teeth clenched. First 'kiddo' and then 'ma'am?' Who the hell did this guy think he was? Obviously he had no clue how to address a lady.

"Hey, what took you so long?" Bella questioned as I stormed over to the Porsche.

"Idiot cashier. Why are you in the driver seat of my baby?"

"Because your driving terrifies me and I figured I'd let you have a break. We can switch back the next time we stop for gas."

"But, what if you hurt her? She's precious!" I pouted as I took in my smug looking friend, panic clearly on my face. I'd never let anyone else ever drive my precious car before.

"Alice, I won't hurt the car. I'm a better driver than you, now get in and tell me what you bought." Her voice was rather calm and tired sounding, but the look on her face was daring me to challenge her.

"Bellaaa!" I whined.

"Aliceee!" she mimicked, smirking.

I growled and climbed into the passenger seat, buckling my seatbelt as she took off at a reasonable _cough_-ridiculously slow-_cough _pace. I opened the laptop and got comfortable before pulling out one of the candy bars and handing it to Bella. It wasn't long before we were back on the road and had devoured all of the chocolate. Maybe I should have bought that the entire box of Hershey bars…

"What did you get to drink?"

Bella's voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I began to rummage through the bag. "I've got Yoo-Hoo and water bottles. Oh, and ten scratch off tickets!"

"Yoo-Hoo please. And why did you buy scratch offs?"

I shook the bottle, popped the top off with a pocketknife, and handed the chocolaty milk to her before repeating the process with my own. "I had a feeling you'd be lucky. Who knows, maybe you'll actually win enough to buy a truck that goes more than sixty miles an hour. Which is five miles under the speed limit here, so would please hit the gas? I'd rather not get pulled over for driving too slow…"

Bella rolled her eyes but luckily complied and I felt the car speed up slightly. "There. Happy?"

"Not really, but I supposed ten miles is a start…" I quipped back. We both shared a laugh as I picked up Bella's cell phone. "I'm gonna try calling Rose again. According to the computer she's been in Tennessee for a while now. I'm guessing she's spending the night someplace there."

I watched Bella quirk an eyebrow as she kept her eyes on the road. "Hopefully she'll pick up this time. Wonder what she found in Tennessee that made her stop."

"Beats me."

I quickly dialed the number and silently counted each ring. When the phone went to voicemail again, I sighed.

"Why don't you leave her a message, tell her we're worried about her?"

I shot Bella a sideways glance before an evil smirk twisted its way onto my lips. I knew exactly the message I needed to leave. As soon as the beep signaled it was time to start talking, I forced as much sugar into my voice as possible.

"Rosalie sweetie, Bella and I both understand that you're very upset over the whole wedding mess. However, it is common courtesy to keep your friends in the loop when you decide to flee the state. You better have a _damn _good reason for being in Tennessee, because Bella's driving my baby and chasing you halfway across the country was _not_ on the agenda. See you soon. Love you!"

Snapping the phone shut I turned to smirk at my partner in crime who was intently concentrating on the road in front of us. Her lower lip was tucked between her teeth as she did her best to fight back whatever expression wanted to burst forth on her face. I tilted my head to one side innocently, offering up my most charming smile.

"How was that? Think she'll call us back?"

"I don't know, Alice, but I have a strange feeling she's not going to be too happy when we turn up on the doorstep of wherever she happens to be."

"Now why would you say that? You're the only one who's ever had a problem with us dropping by unexpectedly."

"Yeah, but she's Rose. She's already pissed as hell and you just nonchalantly threatened her over the phone."

"I did not nonchalantly threaten her. I simply left her a message stating that we are displeased by her current behavior and are on our way to find her."

"Alice, you used your 'Bella's going shopping and that's final' voice. That counts as a threat."

"Oh Bella, don't be silly. You should know by now that Rose's bark is much worse than her bite. Besides, if anyone should be worried about impending anger it should be her. If anything happened to her wedding dress…" I let the threat trail off as Bella's eyes widened shock.

"Rose is as good as dead, isn't she?" she finished for me, sighing.

I nodded my head, shuffling around in the bag at my feet for the scratch off lotto tickets. As soon as I located them, I separated and shuffled them. Five went back into the bag for Bella to do later. The other five were about to make friends with the quarter I'd picked up from the ashtray slot.

Ten minutes, a slightly cramped hand, and a handful of gray scratch off shavings later I was staring in disappointment at the cardboard slips in my hand.

"Did you win anything?" Bella asked casually as she changed lanes. There was surprisingly someone on this endless interstate that drove slower than her, and while Bella often obeyed the speed limit she didn't exactly enjoy driving more than ten miles under it.

"Absolutely nuthin'," I mumbled back, shredding the scratch offs and dropping the pieces in the designated garbage bag.

She sent me a sympathetic smile. "Maybe I'll have better some better luck with the others?"

"You better," I quipped back. "It's about time you got some money to replace that heap of scrap metal you call a truck. I'm surprised that thing still runs."

"Hey! I like my truck. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it."

"Aside from the fact that it doesn't drive above sixty and costs a small fortune in gas?"

"It's retro. Besides, my dad gave me that truck as a high school graduation present. It's one of the few surprises I actually enjoyed."

"I'm just saying Bella. One of these days that thing is gonna roll over and die and you'll be begging me to help you shop for a new a new car."

"Alice… in all the years that I've know you have you _ever _heard me beg you to help me shop?" She was starting to sound exasperated.

"Um, no?"

"Then what makes you think I'd beg you to take me car shopping, of all things? I don't want some obnoxiously colored, flashy sports car."

"Okay, so the colors purple, red, and yellow will be off limits. I'm sure we could find something in a pretty blue."

"Alice..."

"Yes Bella?"

"You're not taking me car shopping."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"Not even if I promise to let you look at Fords and Chevys?"

"You're not talking me into buying a Mustang or a Corvette."

"Damn. Come on Bella! Please? Can't I at least tag along? I promise you'll have the final decision!" I gave her the pleading puppy pout.

Her voice was whiney as she replied, "Allllice."

"Yay! I knew you'd see it my way!" I clapped my hands and practically bounced in the seat while Bella groaned, a frown on her pretty little face. I knew she'd see things my way. It was just a matter of pushing the right buttons.

After that we drove in silence for a while. Bella, I could only assume, was brooding over the inevitable car shopping trip we'd be going on as soon as we got back to New York. I, on the other hand, was alternating between checking the GPS tracker and playing a game of Mahjongg. Rose's car hadn't moved for the last few hours, and as victory fireworks exploded across the laptop's screen for the fifth time I spotted a sign reading 'Welcome to Tennessee!'

"I'm gonna pull off and get gas. And a cup of coffee."

"Ooo! Can you get me a French Vanilla Latte too? I can pump the gas while you run into the store."

"Alight. Anything else you want?"

"Nope. That's all." I had to suppress a Cheshire grin as Bella parked at a BP pump. She made her way towards the little convenience shop while I hopped out and flitted towards the gas tank. Quickly unscrewing the cap, I turned to insert my credit card before putting the pump in place and selecting Ultimate. It took a little over seven minutes for the take to fill, but by the time it was finished Bella still hadn't come back. Returning the pump, I grabbed my card and stuffed it in my purse before hopping into the driver's seat of my Porsche. A rather smug grin was on my face as I started her up and readjusted the seat, mirrors and steering wheel. Being a few inches shy of five feet did have its disadvantages…

I was settling the rearview mirror back into place when I heard the passenger door open. Bella rolled her eyes at my smile as she settled the coffees into the cup holders and reopened the laptop.

"Please try to keep it under a hundred if you want me to not spill my coffee," she begged as I began to pull out and get us back on the road.

"Bella, Bella, Bella. You worry too much. Besides, if you ruin my interior you'll just have to pay for it with the money you win from those lotto tickets!"

I chuckled as she pulled said tickets out of the bag and fished in the ashtray for coin. A silence elapsed for a few minutes as she rubbed at each card. I settled the car into a nice eighty five mile and hour pace, seeing as I really didn't want Bella spilling anything, and then glanced over at her. She caught my gaze and rolled her eyes before letting out a snort.

"Well?" I asked.

"Sure Alice. If I spill my coffee a whole three dollars will definitely cover the damages."

"Hah! I knew you'd win!"

"Yeah, a lousy three dollars. Can't exactly buy much with that." She held up one of each of the two brands, one a two dollar winner and the other a one dollar winner.

"So? I told you you'd win something and I was right. That's what is most important."

"Of course it is. How silly of me to think otherwise."

Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and we both ended up erupting into giggles.

"How far are we from where Rose is parked?"

"At the rate you're driving, I'd say and hour and fifteen, maybe an hour and thirty minutes tops. Looks like she's around exit 117."

I nodded and focused back on the road while Bella fiddled with the radio, trying to locate a station that played anything other country.

An hour and twenty one minutes later found the two of us pulling onto the side of the interstate, identical looks of confusion marring our expressions. Not ten feet in front of us sat Rosalie's convertible completely abandoned and yet surprisingly untouched. Rosalie was nowhere to be found.

"Bella?"

"Yes, Alice?"

"I think we should try calling Rose again."

Nodding, I twisted in my seat to watch Bella grab her phone and dial. She'd set it to speaker as I turned down the radio. The only sound that broke the tense silence was the ringing. And then…

"Hello?" came a groggy voice as the call connected.

"Rosalie Lillian Hale where the hell are you!?"

"Rosalie Lillian Hale why the heck is your car on the side of the I-40!?"

Both Bella's and my voice echoed through the cool night air as we practically shouted our questions into the phone at the same time. I could just imagine Rose wincing at the sudden assault to her hearing, absentmindedly biting her bottom lip as her brain processed what we'd just asked. The one word response we got confirmed my thoughts on her reaction.

"Shit!"

* * *

**a/n:** And there you have it folks, chapter two! Woo! Yay me! I can actually write a chapter fic! Eh heh heh, erm… yeah… So sorry for long wait. I had intended to get this finished and posted like two weeks ago, but between getting sick and trying to write in a POV other Rosalie's it just didn't want to agree with me. What's done is done though, and hopefully the next chapter will be out much sooner. Hopefully this gave you an amused little chuckle too. When I discovered the I-81 actually runs through a town called Carlisle, Pennsylvania I couldn't help mentioning it. _Fun fact_: Said town was also home to author Lois Lowry for a while. ;P

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter. This idea is slowly evolving in my head, so it'll definitely be more than three chapters long. How many chapters exactly, I am not sure. Just know that most of them will probably be in Rose's POV and my update pattern will be irregular. I've got a rather busy real life coupled with a rather fickle muse… I do promise fairly consistent chapter length though, so you can look forward to 5000+ words every update! ^.^

Till next chapter,  
Review please!


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